The Legend of Zelda: The Lost Temple
by t-jumblr
Summary: Archeology professor Minerva Link and her research assistants, Navi, Tatl, and newcomer Midna discover an ancient journal leading to the famed Master Sword. Unfortunately, she isn't the only one looking. Can she get to the Blade of Evil's Bane before those who would seek to do it harm?
1. Grave Robbers

**Chapter 1: Grave Robbers.**

The young woman stood in the hallway of a small hotel and looked at the piece of scrap paper in her hand:

_Rm. 234_

_11:00am_

_Wear comfortable clothes. Be ready to work._

She walked down the hallway away from the stairwell looking up at the room numbers on the small doors. She was, by no means, a spectacularly tall person, but the tops of the doors barely reached the bridge of her nose. The ceiling of the hall was merely two or three inches above her head and she couldn't help but hunch over to keep from getting dizzy.

226, 228, 230…

Once she found the room she knocked on the door. Soon after, she heard footsteps from behind the door, which clicked and popped open.

"You must be Midna!" said the excited graduate student, hunched under the door frame. Her wavy black hair was slightly frizzy and was draped on each side of her square, dark olive-toned face. Her light blue sweater did a poor job bringing out her bespectacled green eyes, but no one in the room knew or cared.

"Yes, I am." Midna nervously answered.

The woman in the room stepped aside and beckoned her in, "I'm Navi. Navi Rouhani. It's nice to meet you!" Like the doorway, everything in the room was small. The table in the corner only came to Midna's shins and two beds seemed to be too short to accommodate an adult. Suitcases had been placed at the feet of the bed in a feeble attempt to extend them. Midna stepped forward so Navi could close the door.

"Navi…that's a…" Midna tried to think of a better word than _unusual_ as she looked around.

"I know. It's weird. My parents were expecting a boy, so they were going to name me Naveed, but when I came out a girl they decided to just chop off the last part and make up their own name." Navi giggled as Midna awkwardly nodded. She was not sure why Navi was sharing this information. "I'm sorry," Navi said, picking up on Midna's unintentional signals, "I sometimes talk too much. TMI, that sort of thing. I'm trying to work on it…"

_Thunk_. Navi was interrupted from a loud bang just past the bathroom door. The door opened as a man's voice bellowed, "Giant-piss-monkey-shit-in-a-bucket…"

"Ahem," Navi coughed, "Tatl! We're not alone!" Midna couldn't help but think that _Navi_ wasn't that odd of a name anymore.

The man, Tatl, walked out of the bathroom wet and wearing a towel around his waist. He was rubbing his forehead and scowling, "What do you mean we…" He looked past his hand to Midna standing in the room. "Oh…uh…" He scrambled for a moment to cover himself, but not finding anything suitable within arms reach he quickly gave up, put his hands on his hips, and embraced it. Midna immediately noticed that almost everything about Tatl was big. He had to hunch over to keep his head from banging the ceiling. His blue eyes were big, the bridge of his nose was big, and his arms were big. The only things about him that were not big were his short sepia hair and his waist. Midna blushed. He looked at Navi, "I thought she was supposed to be here at 1:00?"

"No, Tatl," Navi feigned politeness for Midna's sake, "11:00. She was coming at 11:00. I told you this."

"Oh…Well…I was half right," Tatl said with a big toothy smile. He held out his hand for Midna, catching his towel before it fell, "I'm Tatl Van Bastian. Welcome to the Grave Robbers!"

"Midna" she said as Tatl shook her hand with such force that her whole body bounced. "Grave Robbers?"

"It's an old joke," Navi answered beside her, "What do you call a grave robber with connections?...archeologists…"

"Say," Tatl started again, "I've never met a twil girl before." He said as if he were admiring an animal at the zoo.

Tatl's bluntness wore on Midna, who was no longer blushing, "…awesome." She was, indeed, twil. Her black _Indigo Go's!_ t-shirt was carefully tattered around the sleeves and collar. Her black canvas backpack was covered with marker doodles and pins and patches with logos from relatively unknown bands. Her socks were black and purple and rose from her worn black leather boots up her legs past her knees. To top it all off, her hair was primarily short and died jet black except for a long orange-blonde swoop that fell in front of her heavily made-up eyes.

"Could you please put some pants on?" Navi insisted to Tatl, still trying to remain polite.

"Yeah. Midna, do you mind?" He pointed to a messy bundle of clothes on the far end of the bed. She glared at them, and back at Tatl. She picked them up and forcefully passed them to him.

"Thanks!" He smiled again and darted back into the bathroom and closed the door.

"I'm really sorry about that." Navi groaned as she sat down in the tiny table, gesturing for Midna to sit in the other chair. Midna sat across from Navi, having to bring her knees almost to her chest to do so making sitting no more comfortable than standing. "So, tell me about yourself."

Midna shrugged, "I don't know. Not much to tell."

"I guess I could start, if you'd like?"

Midna shrugged again. She would have been comfortable with silence, though it was becoming clear that Navi wouldn't be.

"Like I said, I'm Navi. I've been working with Professor Link for about five years, both years of my master's the first three of my doctorate. Tatl came the year after I started. We don't usually get undergrads; I think you're only the fourth, and the first only lasted for about two weeks. There must be something about you that Link really likes."

Midna's eyebrows bounced as she shrugged one more time. She wasn't sure about that, "What do you study?"

Navi's eyes brightened, "I study a particular period of Hyrulian history. The Era of the Hero of Time, about 900 years ago. I primarily study cultures, religions, and the geopolitical structures that governed their society. Working with the professor has been great! I've never seen so much or learned so much so quickly. And all the pubs don't hurt either," Navi chuckled, "I've already had three of them. One as first author!"

Midna nodded absentmindedly. She and Navi must have a different definition of 'pub.' Navi continued, "I don't really study the architecture of the time, but…I mean…you have to know some of it for it to work. It was primarily feudal, but a number of the institutions we have now have direct ties to life back then. In fact I wrote my Master's thesis on…"

Tatl burst through the bathroom door again, causing Midna and Navi to start, "Don't get her started if you know what's good for you. You'll never get her to stop." He chuckled and sat on the nearest bed and put on his hiking boots.

"Why don't you tell her what you study?" Navi said indignantly.

Tatl looked at Midna, "Masks." He smiled at Navi who glared, "Religious masks. How they're made. How they're used. Etcetera. Kind of a material culture meets archeology sort of thing." He said back to Midna, "How about you? How far along are you?"

"This will be my first semester with archeology." She said. There was a heavy pause as Tatl and Navi turned to one another. If Midna didn't know better, she would say that they were talking without making sounds or moving their mouth. "What?"

"You haven't done any archeology work at all? No classes?" Tatl asked.

"No. Why?"

"I told you we don't take undergrads often," Navi nervously started, "Well, when we do they're always fourth or fifth year seniors, people who have been studying archeology for that whole time. She's never taken on someone who was just starting. I don't know why Professor Link would…"

Tatl cut her off, "I am sure there's a good reason. I don't doubt Prof," he then smiled and looked at Midna, "You must be something special."

"Yeah. I guess." Midna said. If this conversation was meant to make Midna feel comfortable it was an absolute failure. Navi and Tatl were trying to be nice and polite, but Midna still felt out of place. Navi and Tatl had been together with the professor for a long time. They had a natural rapport, a rapport of which Midna was not a part. "Where is the professor now?" She asked?

"Link went out to get the guide. We're heading out to a new site today. Ancient temple—should be exciting." Tatl said.

"I don't know about ancient, it's only 1000 years old or so." Navi corrected.

"What's the professor like?" Midna asked. Professor Link was pretty well known, and Midna wanted to know if the rumors were true.

Navi furrowed her thick eyebrows trying to think of the right words to say. Tatl jumped in, "Prof's really good. Probably the best I've worked with. Definitely the kind of person who's respect you have to earn, though. Doesn't talk much."

"The professor can seem scary at first, I know I thought so," Navi consoled, "but don't worry. Just take care of your job and you'll be fine."

The conversation continued for some time. The minutes passed slowly as Tatl and Navi talked about where they were from and the research they've performed. Navi remaining cordial and Tatl cracking jokes while packing a large backpack. Midna listened intently as they spoke but volunteered as little about herself as she could. After what seemed like hours, but in reality was probably more like 30 minutes or so, the hotel door opened abruptly, "We ready to go?"

Tatl and Navi looked to the door, "Prof!" Tatl exclaimed, "Almost got the bag ready to go. Just got to add the food."

On the other side of the door stood a brawny woman with her dirty-blonde hair in a clumsy braid behind her. Her green canvas shirt, complete with rolled up sleeves, matched her green eyes. Midna noticed a holster on her hip, but instead of a gun it held two small cylinders. She ducked below the door frame and took control of the room, "Good. I've found a new guide who can lead us through the Lost Woods."

"Another one? What happened to Dago?" Navi asked, concerned.

"Probably got tired of hanging around us while we aimlessly wandered in the forest." Tatl suggested chuckling. Link shot him a critical but confirming glare.

"How long have you been looking for this temple?" Midna quietly asked Navi.

"About two weeks now. Three? Two? Two." Tatl loudly responded.

"He is waiting outside for us. We'd better get going." Link said and turned to leave.

"Oh, Professor, this is Midna. She's the new undergrad." Navi said while standing and gesturing to Midna. Link turned in the doorway and met Midna's eyes. She gave a curt nod and walked out of the room. Tatl gathered up the large backpack and ducked out of the room saying, "Like I said: few words."

* * *

><p>Midna, Tatl, and Navi caught up to Link outside of the hotel; she was at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the hotel door talking to a disgruntled redheaded child. When the trio approached, Link turned to them, "This is Faso. He'll be our guide through the forest today. The good news is we've narrowed down where we think the ruin is located."<p>

"Let me guess," Tatl said, adjusting the large backpack, "It's far away."

"That's right. Any questions before we leave?"

"Uhm…" Midna gingerly raised her hand, "Are we sure it's a good idea to let a child guide us?" She gestured to Faso, "I mean, this could be dangerous, right?"

"Kid," Faso groaned, "I've been leading people in the Lost Woods since before you were born."

Tatl tried to hide his chuckling. Navi leaned over and spoke, "Kokiri don't age the same way as other people. Their adults usually look like children."

"We weren't staying in a tiny hotel because we can't afford a full sized one." Tatl joked, "Though, with our funding, we can't even really afford a mini hotel." Faso looked at Link with concern, and she reassured him that he was, indeed, being paid for his work.

"With nothing else…" Link paused, waiting for more questions, "Let's go."

The group walked through the forest behind the hotel. The trees were so dense that the intense sunlight of the day couldn't quite get through. The path was covered with shadows and it was sometimes difficult for Midna to see. She followed behind Navi, Link, and Faso, who was riding on Link's shoulders, talking into Link's ear and pointing. It seemed like Faso was leading them in circles, but every time he was questioned (by Midna) he said something about "following the music."

After a few hours, Midna's energy was waning. Link, Navi, and Faso started to pull away from Midna until they were yards ahead of her. Tatl, who was bringing up the rear, caught up to her, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she moaned, "Just didn't expect this much hiking."

"The note said we were going to be in the field, didn't it?"

"No, it said _be ready to work_. It didn't say what kind of work."

"Oh…"

"I brought a laptop and a spiral notebook." She hit her backpack with her elbow.

Tatl laughed, "They'll come in handy later." He paused, trying to assess Midna's mood while she was intent on revealing as little as possible. "At least you're wearing boots."

"They're all for show. I've got, like, three blisters already."

Tatl was taken aback, "Why haven't you said anything? We have a first aid kit, we could get you fixed up."

"I don't like complaining. And I don't want to slow everyone down."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Well, I haven't eaten since this morning." This was a lie; Midna hadn't eaten since the night before. Her stomach was starting to groan.

Tatl smiled, "That, I can do something about." Without slowing down, he reached into the side pocket of the backpack and pulled out a wrapped protein bar, "Here, all yours."

Midna took the bar, opened the package, and rammed the food into her mouth. It was sweet and stuck to her teeth.

"Listen," Tatl said, in an unfamiliar sincere tone, "I feel like we got off on the wrong foot. I just wanted to say sorry about that."

"mmhmm" Midna couldn't speak with the protein bar in her mouth. She tried to peel the chocolate and granola off her teeth to acknowledge the effort Tatl was making.

"Oh, yeah," Tatl noticed her trouble and reached into the backpack, "Here." He handed Midna a bottle of water.

* * *

><p>Link looked back at Midna and Tatl, Midna was eating a protein bar while Tatl held a water bottle beside her. The two of them were laughing, and it was the first time anyone in the group had seen Midna smile. As they reached a small clearing, Navi leaned over to Link, "Professor, mind if I talk to you for a bit?"<p>

Link nodded, "Faso, can I put you down?"

"Yeah, sure. If you want to rest here I'll move ahead. I think we're close." Link and Navi stopped walking, and Link knelt down and let Faso jump off her. He jogged off and cut between trees, and was now out of sight. Link turned back to Tatl and Midna to watch them catch up, but instead they had stopped walking too. Midna was taking off her boot and Tatl was digging through the backpack's outside pocket.

"Professor," Navi started, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Always" Link said, still watching Midna and Tatl.

"Remember what you said before you left this morning?"

"Yeah."

"You said 'don't let Tatl hit on the undergrad."

"I know. I say that every time we get an undergrad."

"Yeah," Navi was wringing her hands, "It's just…It's just this time you meant it." Link turned to look at Navi for the first time. Navi looked serious and adjusted her glasses, "Professor, she's never had an archeology class before. She hasn't written anything worthwhile, She doesn't know what she's doing."

"You don't like her?"

"Do you?" Navi was abrupt with this question. Link's eyes narrowed. "I mean, usually an undergrad arrives and you at least introduce yourself. Heck, sometimes you even say a full sentence to them. But this one shows up, this one that you _really_ don't want Tatl to get close to, this one with no archeology experience, and you don't say anything to her? Professor," Navi leaned in, "Why is she here?"

Link's jaw clenched as she glared at Navi. Navi was always perceptive; it was one of the things Link appreciated about her. It made her a good research assistant and a good archeologist, but it had its drawbacks. It wouldn't be long before Navi figured everything out, and only if Link told her in person could Link control her reaction. Link considered it for a moment before opening her mouth, "Tatl, Midna," she called before turning her head to them, "What's going on?"

Tatl called back as Midna tied her tall boots, "Basic first aid; no problem!"

"Then hurry up." Link locked eyes with Navi before walking away to sit on a fallen tree. Navi sat down on a nearby rock. Soon, Tatl came to them, carrying the backpack on his back and Midna in his arms.

"Tatl, I'm sure Midna can walk on her own," Navi said reproachfully. Despite Link's cold non-answers, Navi took her request to keep Tatl from flirting with Midna to heart.

"Calm down, mom," Tatl responded as she set Midna down on Link's log, "She has a couple of blisters. I figured as long as we were taking a break I'd carry her.

"It wasn't my idea." Midna said as Tatl sat on the ground across the clearing from Midna. He passed protein bars to the other members of the group. Tatl did most of the talking for the group, though Midna and Navi would chime in every now and then.

After everyone had finished their food and drank a little water, Faso came back to the clearing. "Alright, I think I found your ruins."

"Damn," Tatl joked, "I wish we had you from the beginning."

"Would you like a protein bar, Faso?" Navi asked courteously.

"I don't eat that crap," Faso turned her down, less courteously, "Let's get going I don't want to be out after dark." Faso hurried them up. Tatl was the first to pop up. He went to Midna and offered her a hand, but she made a point to stand on her own. While he darted back to put the backpack on, Link and Navi stood, ready to follow Faso.

After perhaps an hour or so, Faso lead them through an immensely dense patch of trees and up a large hill. "Ladies and gentleman, your temple." Faso pointed un-ceremonially. The rest of the group, who had fallen behind in the thick trees, reached the top of the hill one by one. When they arrived, they found a large clearing in the trees. The stone temple towered over the trees, and was built up on yet another mound. Even though the foliage growing up the walls camouflaged the temple well, Tatl made a remark about how he couldn't believe that they didn't see it before.

Midna stepped forward into the clearing and tripped on a huge stone plate on the ground. She quickly pushed herself up, nothing hurt but her pride and some scuffed hands.

"Professor, look," Navi said, pointing at the stone tablet, "There's been quite a bit of erosion, but you can clearly see the Triforce symbol."

"How is it so well preserved? Is this from the same period as the temple?" Link asked.

"Looks like it," Navi responded, "It's not uncommon for temples of this period to be relatively well preserved, but this one seems to have endured better than the others. Especially considering they haven't been actively preserved by the surrounding population."

"Hey, ladies?" asked Tatl, "What is the symbol in the middle? I don't recognize it." Link and the graduate students continued to investigate the plate as Midna took some steps toward the temple.

"Uh, guys?"

"What, Midna?" Link called, not looking up from the plate.

"How are we gonna get up there?"


	2. The Forest Temple

**Chapter 2: The Forest Temple**

Midna turned to face the group, who were all kneeling on the stone plate. The temple towered behind her. When the group approached the temple, the flora growing up the stone walls of the temple had blended it with the rest of the forest. Now that they were close, it was now apparent that the door to the temple was several feet up the wall. At least a full story up. If stairs had ever lead up to the door, they had long eroded away, leaving a small platform in front of the door but nothing other way to get there.

"Uh…shit…" Link put her hands on her hips as she stood and scanned the area for a way up to the door.

"Too bad that tree's gone," said Tatl, pointing to the rotting tree stump next to the platform, "we could have climbed it up."

"I don't know. The trees around here don't tend to have low branches…even if the tree was still here, we might not be able to…" Navi looked at Tatl who was smirking at her, "Oh…You were joking." Tatl wiped the dirt from his hands as he stood and helped Navi to her feet.

Link walked up to the bottom of the eroded staircase. She ran her fingers up the walls, tugging on the vines that climbed the walls. She deduced that you couldn't climb up them and called behind her, "Tatl, come here." Once Tatl was close, Link turned and smirked to him, "Drop the pack."

"You don't mean…" Tatl said, with mock grief.

"Yep. Pyramid Time." She said with a smirk. Tatl sighed, took the backpack off his back, and leaned it against the wall.

Navi looked excited and dropped her book bag next to it on the wall. Midna followed suit before whispering to Navi, "What's 'Pyramid Time' mean?"

Navi giggled, "Well, this isn't the first time we've come to a site where we couldn't quite reach where we needed to go. We used to have to carry a collapsible ladder with us everywhere, but it was really heavy and cumbersome. Then, we discovered Tatl had a secret past."

"Secret past?" Midna whispered and looked back at Tatl and Link. Link was standing close in front of Tatl. Tatl grabbed link around the waist and counted, bouncing his body slightly as he did, "Okay. One…Two…Three." On three, Link jumped in the air, pushed up by Tatl. She jumped high over Tatl's head. She came down, her feet landing on Tatl's waiting hands. With another crouching bounce, Tatl sent Link flying. She easily reached the ledge. She grabbed on and pulled herself up. Midna's eyes darted between Tatl and Link.

Navi giggled again, "Tatl used to be a cheerleader."

"Of course he was." Midna muttered under her breath. Navi walked to the same position Link was previously standing. Tatl grabbed Navi around the waist, they bounced three times, and Tatl tossed her into the air. This time, instead of tossing her again, he caught Navi's feet, and held her up, allowing Link to pull her up. Once she was up on the ledge, Link called down, "Alright, Midna. You're up."

Midna shook her head, "I'm fine down here. I'll just investigate the…" Midna pointed to the large stone plate.

"We all go." Link interrupted. Her voice was calm, but it was obvious that there would be no arguing. Midna groaned under her breath and got into position in front of Tatl.

"Okay, so, I'll grab you here," Tatl lightly put his hands on Midna's waist, "Count to three, and…"

"Yeah, I got it." Midna put her hands on top of Tatl's.

"Okay, ready?"

"Yeah."

Tatl grabbed tightly, "Okay. One…two…three!" On three, Tatl tossed Midna into the air. He tried to grab Midna's feet, but her knees gave out and she started to fall. Tatl jumped into action, and caught Midna before she hit the ground, "Hello again," he chuckled.

"Come _on_, Tatl." Link called.

Tatl put Midna down, gave her some advice, and the two got ready to go again. "One…two…three!" This time they were successful. Midna stood on Tatl's outstretched hands and Navi and Link pulled her up. Midna crawled onto the platform, scraping her knees as she did.

"Did anyone else notice these four holes on the platform?" She asked as she stood.

"Hey!" Tatl called as he handed Navi her backpack, "What about me? How do I get up?"

"We'll look around inside for something. For now, stay there. Keep Faso company." Link instructed.

"What happened to 'we all go?"

"Yeah," Link smirked, "_we_ all go. _You_ stay there. It'll only be a couple minutes. Can't be more than thirty." Tatl groaned, looked at Faso, and pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket as Navi gingerly opened the door to the temple. As the women walked, Midna could hear Tatl talking.

"So, Faso. What's your game?"

"Same as my drink."

"Please don't say 'hearts."

"Gin."

"Okay. Gin."

* * *

><p>Midna and Navi followed Link into the large, overgrown lobby of the temple. A large hole in the roof of the room had allowed for grass to grow on the ground and vines to grow on the walls. After admiring the room for a few moments, but not finding anything to help Tatl climb into the temple, the group moved on. Through the next door was a dark, dank hallway, also overgrown with vines. Navi remarked again at the odd state of the temple. No one had cared for it, or tried to preserve it, how was it still standing? As they got to the end of the hallway, Link shushed them, and forcibly gestured for them to get against the wall. The door at the end of the hallway had rotted through and fallen down, so the three had a view of the large central chamber, and what they saw surprised them.<p>

Large, leather clad brutes were rampaging in the large room. Each one wore thick leather jackets with spikes on the shoulders and sleeves and a large patch with a skull and swords on the back. They all wore helmets with visors, many in the shapes of horned skulls. Two of them called to the others and carried in a large metal chest from a door on the opposite side of the room. They dropped it down the stairs, which lead to the door with multiple loud thuds. The chest stayed in tact.

"Who are they?" Navi whispered.

"Stalfos," Link answered, "Biker gang. They usually just harass people on the highways or outside Hyrule City. I've never seen them this far away from the roads before."

"They're expanding?" Navi said.

"I doubt it." Midna said, "Why would they come out here? They get their money though burglary, drug running, and extortion. There's no one out here to extort." Navi and Link slowly turned to her, unable to hide their shock at Midna's knowledge on the subject. "What?" Midna asked, "I used to be a criminal justice major."

"I wish we found a way to bring Tatl up." Link said.

"We should go back. Get the authorities." Navi suggested.

"No," Link answered without considering it, "Look at all the damage their doing." The Stalfos were causing a lot of damage. The doors that did not open on their own were kicked down. And now a large group of them were banging on the chest with clubs and trying to pry it open with crowbars. "No. This stops here."

Link pulled one of the small black cylinders out of her holster. She pressed a button with her thumb and the cylinder, which turned out to be a baton, expanded with a few clicks. She folded the handle over, forming an L shape, and slid it down. She held that baton in her right hand so that the length of the weapon ran down her arm. She grabed the other cylinder, another baton, and with a flick of her wrist it expanded with a series of clicks.

"Are you kidding?" Midna yelled in a whisper. "Look at them! There has to be at least seven of them in there, maybe more throughout the temple! They've got clubs and guns, and you're going to go in there with a couple of sticks?"

"I also have Navi," she nodded toward Navi behind them, who was pulling a slingshot and a bag of metal pellets out of her backpack.

"Sticks and a slingshot?" Midna croaked, "Are you kidding? You'll die! And why do you even _have_ those?"

"Sometimes we go places where there are predators. We've never seen anything like this."

"See, _see?" _Midna shot a look back at Link, "Navi's right. Leave this to people who know what they're doing!"

Link ignored her, "Navi, cover me. Midna, stay here out of sight. This could get ugly, and I don't want you getting…"

"What? No! If you're going to do this, than I'm gonna…"

"Stay here, out of sight. That's final." Link poked Midna in the chest. Midna looked at Navi for support but only got a halfhearted shrug. Navi clearly agreed with Link. With a huff, she crossed her arms and sat against the wall. Link watched her slouch against the wall and turned to Navi, "you ready?"

"Yeah, I guess," Navi responded as she readied the first metal pellet in her slingshot. Link nodded and silently stalked out of the hallway.

By this point, the Stalfos were now gathered around the chest trying to open it. Link walked slowly to the group, slightly crouched and twirling the long, straight baton in her left hand. "Does this sort of thing happen a lot?" Midna asked Navi, who readied herself to let her pellet fly at Link's signal.

"No. This is the first time." Navi whispered, "We've seen wolfos before, but never anything like this."

Midna watched as Link reached the group, still unnoticed, "Well, at least she has the element…"

Link tapped the closest Stalfos on the helmet. Once he turned to face her, she waved at him.

"Never mind…"

The Stalfos Link tapped took a swing at her with his fist. Link easily dodged the attack and exploded into a flurry of swinging batons. With two swift strikes, the first Stalfos fell, holding his side and leg. Link blocked a blow from a crowbar beside her with her right baton, and attacked with the left. Three strikes, another Stalfos was on the floor. They tried to surround her, but she quickly spun, forcing the Stalfos to take a step back, clearing some space for her.

Navi let fly her first pellet. It struck the visor of one Stalfos' helmet, which he took off to investigate. Another pellet made contact with his ear, causing it to bleed, and he doubled over.

More Stalfos poured into the room. Midna lost count of how many, each holding some sort of weapon. Some Stalfos drew firearms, but they were unable to use them for fear of firing on their own who were now surrounding Link. Those who got close enough to shoot without the danger of friendly fire were either nocked by Navi's metal pellets, attacked by Link, or both.

The whirlwind of Link's attacks moved faster than anyone could track. She was swift, but managed to attack in a way that didn't knock out (or kill) the Stalfos. They hall was filled with the sounds of pained moaning as more and more Stalfos lined the floors.

"Fuck this, Let's go!" One Stalfos made the call to retreat. Those who could still stand, including a few who hadn't tried to fight Link yet, gathered their fallen comrades and hurried toward the exit. As they approached, Navi hid as well as she could by the inner door, but none of the Stalfos even glanced at her in their rushed retreat. Link watched them run, not seeing a Stalfos currently lying on the ground behind her reach for a handgun. He aimed as he pulled himself off the ground, no longer caring about his allies in his way. Link turned to the sound of a "thunk" and saw Midna standing behind the falling Stalfos holding a black club. She dropped it as soon as the Stalfos hit the ground. One of his allies scooped him up in front of Midna and ran off, muttering something about "dumbass kid." As they ran off, Link stormed over to Midna, collapsing the batons and holstering them, "I told you to stay back!"

"I stayed hidden, what does it matter where I was?" Midna retorted.

"I said stay back!" Link yelled as she pointed at Midna as she finished with her holster, "When I say 'stay back,' you stay back, am I understood?"

"Are you forgetting about how he was going to shoot you?"

"Am I understood?"

"You're welcome for…"

"No, no. None of that. If we're in the field I need to you do what I say! I need you to stay safe!"

Midna pointed to the exit without breaking eye contact with Link, "They all ran out that way anyway. If I were hiding up there, they would have…"

Navi called from the top of the stairs that lead into the great hall, "Uh, guys!"

"_What?"_ Link and Midna called back at the same time.

"Tatl!"

Link and Midna's eyes shot from Navi to each other. Then, with no more words, they both ran toward the entrance to the temple. Link shot out ahead of Midna and caught up to Navi before she had even reached the end of the adjoining hallway. Midna did her best to keep up, but with her blistered feet, she couldn't help but limp in her run.

Link reached the ledge outside the temple first, followed by Navi. "Tatl!" She called.

"Here! Here!" He walked out from behind the stump with his hands up.

"Thank the goddess." Link put her hand on her heart and tried to catch her breath.

Midna reached the door, "Tatl!"

"I'm here, we're all okay!" Midna seemed to chuckle as she caught her breath and slid down the wall until she was sitting on the ledge, her feet burning.

"Faso and I were playing cards when we thought we heard you coming back. Then, we notice that there were _a lot of boots_. I grabbed Faso and hid, and watched those guys attach the ladder and run off." He pointed to the chain ladder seemed to be drilled into the platform.

"That's what those four holes were!" Midna realized.

"I was wondering how they got in there." Navi added.

Tatl chuckled, "A lot of them didn't even bother with the ladder, they just jumped down. Or, just threw others of them down. You must have scared them half to death."

"You licked 'em good, didn't you?" Faso laughed, nodding at Link. Link smirked and nodded. Faso continued, "And you didn't get a scratch on you! You're good, you are." Link shrugged.

"They were flying for how much they were limping," Tatl pondered.

"Must be the adrenalin. It won't last long. We'll be able to get past them fast enough," Faso said, gathering himself to move again, "We'll head them off at the village, get the guard to take 'em in. Who took the first swing."

"You kidding? They did. And thank you for the offer, Faso, but we'll be staying here" Link smirked as she produced her cell phone from her pocket, "I'll call the village guard and alert them to the Stalfos…"

"No go, Prof." Tatl called, "We already tried. Phones don't work here. Wifi hotspots are a no go either. We're totally off the grid."

"Forest does that." Faso added.

"Alright then." Link groaned as she put her phone away. "We'll set up camp just inside. If you could, after you alert the authorities, arrange for the rest of our equipment to be brought from the hotel to this location?"

Faso's face contorted as he thought, "Eh, that's gonna be extra."

"That's fine."

"Sure thing. Wont get here until tomorrow."

"That's fine. Thank you." Faso nodded and then took off into the forest. Link turned to Navi, "Navi, help Tatl set up camp in here. The ground is dirt and grass, so it should be fine to pitch the tent here, and I'd be more comfortable if we can sleep in an enclosed space with the ladder rolled up. Midna," She shot a look at Midna, a look that said she hadn't forgotten their earlier shouting match, "Come with me. I want to see what the Stalfos were after."

Midna and Link walked in heavy silence to the large hall, and the dented metal chest at the far end of it. Once they arrived, Link pulled an old key on a silver chain out of her shirt.

"What's that?"

"We found it at another site. It's a long story, but it's the reason we came here. It's the reason we _know_ about here." Link inspected a symbol on the key and the lock of the chest. After they noticed that they matched, she inserted the key, but stopped short of turning it. She turned to Midna, "Midna, look," she took in a deep breath, "As far as you are concerned, I'm here for two reasons: To keep you safe, and to help you learn. In order for both to happen, you need to listen to me." Midna opened her mouth to interrupt, but Link cut her off, "I appreciate that you want to help, and I know you don't like being treated like a child."

"You don't know anything about me."

"No one wants to be treated like a child," Link said with a smirk, "but you have to know that _I know more about this than you._ If this arrangement is going to work, you have to trust me. Can you trust me?"

Without speaking, Midna rolled her eyes and nodded slightly.

"Okay, now, lets see what they wanted so badly." Link clicked the lock of the chest and opened it. Was another large wooden box, which opened to reveal a fabric pillow surrounding a large, red leather bound book. Link reached into her shirt pocket and produced two white, cloth gloves. She put them on and pulled out the book, handling it as if it were the most precious, fragile thing in the world.

"What is it?" Midna asked.

Link opened the book, and read from the first page. "It's a journal. A sort of last memoir."

"Of who?"

"Princess Zelda."

* * *

><p>The next day progressed without much excitement. That is, without much excitement for Midna. The handwritten journal belonged to Princess Zelda; the problem was, no one knew <em>which<em> Princess Zelda. The royal family had never been particularly creative when naming children, and a Princess Zelda had been a member of the family for more than twelve centuries. Luckily, it didn't take long for Link and Navi to date the journal. Navi just about exploded when they discovered that the journal was around eight and a half centuries old, which meant it came from the tail end of the Era of the Hero of Time.

Faso and a crew of Kokiri brought the rest of the crew's luggage and equipment early in the morning. They brought news that the 19 members of the Stalfos biker gang had been rounded up and extradited to Hyrule City for trial. After the bags were safely tucked in the tent, Navi and Link explored the temple as best they could. It seemed, however, that every time they entered a new room, they couldn't explore more than a few feet before they were met with wide chasms and tall ledges. Link made a comment that perhaps the trouble they had at the entrance was intentional. Perhaps the difficulty of navigating the temple was its way of keeping people out.

Tatl, who did not study on the Era of the Hero of Time, focused on keeping up the campsite and identifying the mysterious symbol that appeared throughout the temple. Tatl buried himself in any relevant text he could find. But even that seemed exciting compared to Midna's assignment.

Midna was charged with translating the journal. The language used by the journal's Zelda was incredibly old and incredibly dead. Midna first positioned the book on a group of oddly shaped pillows and took a picture of each page with a special camera that was, according to Navi, designed to not harm or warp the parchment or ink. After taking a picture of each page, Midna had to use a portable printer to print two copies of each page. The pages were still printing when Midna started translating the first page. It was a slow process: sitting on her cot, cross-referencing symbols between the journal and the textbook Link gave her.

"Why two copies?" Midna asked Tatl as he looked through a bag of books.

"Probably one for Link to read and one for you to translate." He answered absentmindedly.

"What do you mean 'one for Link to read?' How can she read one before I translate it?"

"Oh, Link can read ancient Hylan."

Midna dropped her pencil and glared at Tatl, "What?"

"Yeah. She can actually read a bunch of old languages. Comes naturally to her."

"Then why am I translating this thing?" she gestured to the still working printer.

"Because the rest of us can't read ancient Hylan fluently." Midna groaned and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. Tatl continued, "Sorry, Midna, all of us had to do it. Once you get the hang of it, it won't take long. I promise." As Tatl spoke, Midna flopped over on her cot, resting her eyes. "Hey, what book are you using?"

"This one." Midna felt around for the book with her hand, eyes still closed. When she found it, she held it up, not caring that she lost her place. Tatl took it and looked at the cover.

"You're using Cooper?"

"It's the one Link gave me."

"She's okay. But…" Tatl searched through the bag of books, "Here. I like Wu a lot better. The information is just…laid out better." He handed the new book to Midna, who took it without looking.

"Thanks. How's the search for the symbol going?"

"Eh, not great. If I had an idea of what _kind_ of symbol it was, it would help. I've been looking through family crests, thinking maybe a wealthy family helped build the thing, but I'm not having any luck."

"Any chance it means 'Forest Temple?"

Tatl laughed, "That would be pretty…" he stopped midsentence and paused for a moment. Then, with a burst of energy, dug through the book bag, pulled on out, and ran to the entrance of the tent, "I have to go!" He yelled as he ran off.

Midna didn't see anyone until dinner. As they ate the bland stew Tatl had cooked on a propane camp oven, Navi checked over Midna's translation work, "This symbol, it actually means 'time' in this context, not 'light.' Easy mistake to make." She handed the page back to Midna. Midna curtly thanked her as she took the page back. Navi and Tatl said she had done a pretty good job, but Midna couldn't help but notice all the red marks covering her paper.

Link asked where the spare copy was, and after Midna told her she informed the group that she would be reading it over the next day.

The conversation was lively. Tatl informed the group that he had found the meaning behind the symbol, and said something about a "forest sage," which meant something to Navi and Link, but not Midna. Link and Navi talked about what they had found in the temple, and a jealous Tatl listened intently. Midna listened to the conversation, but didn't contribute. She was still feeling out of her element, which compounded her natural introverted tendencies. After they ate, Tatl grabbed a black notebook, a red notebook, and some pencils and followed Navi back into the temple. Link bound the extra working copy of the journal and sat next to the still glowing fire.

"You've done good work today, Midna," she said as she turned to the first page of writing, "Keep it up tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? What do you want me to do for the rest of the day?"

"Take a break. Relax." Link said with a smile.

"But, Navi and Tatl are still working." Midna pointed to the temple.

"Navi and Tatl are dorks." Link chuckled.

"You're still working."

"I'm a dork." Midna didn't move for a moment. Link continued, "I saw that you brought some headphones. Listen to some music. Take a load off. Translating and transcribing any manuscript is hard. Especially when you don't know the language. If you don't take it easy from time to time, you're gonna get burned out."

Midna made a motion to protest.

"Or keep working. It's up to you."

Midna took a beat to gather her thoughts. She didn't like being held to a lower standard than others, like she couldn't handle what was actually expected of her, but at the same time, she really didn't want to transcribe anymore. With a sigh, she walked into the tent, grabbed her phone and earbuds, and exited the tent. She walked out the door onto the ledge overlooking what Tatl and Navi were now calling the Sacred Meadow. She turned her music on, dangled her feet off the ledge, and watched the colors of the sky change as the day turned to twilight. The orange and purple clouds of her favorite time of day rejuvenated her, and as much as she hated to admit it, taking a break was the right thing to do. Once the orange had transitioned to purple, deep blue, and finally white-speckled black, Midna returned to the tent.

* * *

><p>The next two days were very similar for Midna. She spent the whole day hanging around the tent translating the journal. It was a slow process, and it didn't seem to get faster. The Princess Zelda that wrote the journal must have been quite the windbag, because after two days Midna still had not gotten past the journal's introduction. (Who writes an introduction to a personal journal?) Navi and Tatl disappeared into the temple in the morning, came back for a couple minutes around noon for lunch, disappeared again, and returned for dinner full of stories about what they had seen. Link lurked around the campsite, her nose buried in the spare working copy of the journal, though she did not share what she learned at dinner.<p>

After dinner both nights, Midna grabbed her phone and earbuds and went to the ledge to unwind. On the second night, just as the sky started to turn orange, Midna was interrupted.

"This seat taken?"

Midna pulled out her earbuds and looked behind her to see Tatl standing beside her holding his notebooks, "No. That's fine."

Tatl plopped down next to Midna, his large feet dangling off the ledge and swinging back and forth. "This is nice," he said, admiring the view of the sky over the trees, "I can see why you've been disappearing out here."

"I haven't been disappearing." Midna said with playful offense.

"You've been disappearing."

"Well, what about you and Navi?"

"What?"

"You two disappear into the temple every day and don't come back until dinner."

"We're doing our jobs." Tatl laughed and pointed to Midna's phone, "How do you still have battery?"

"I brought a solar charger. I charge it during the day, while you and Navi are disappeared in the temple."

Tatl laughed heartedly, which caused a slight smile on Minda's face, "Okay, okay. Touché."

The two sat and watched the sky for a moment before Midna motioned to Tatl's notebooks, "What are those?"

"Oh, this is where I take notes on the temple." He handed the red notebook to Midna. She opened it and, instead of seeing row upon row of written notes, she saw incredibly detailed sketches of the rooms inside the temple. Midna audibly reacted to the beautiful pencil drawings before her, "You did these?"

"Yeah. Navi takes the boring notes, I take these."

"These are beautiful," Midna said with a smile, "but, why not take photographs? Wouldn't they be more accurate?

"Well, we take photographs too. But, they don't capture the temple's life like these do. They work together."

Midna couldn't help but roll her eyes, "capture the temple's life?"

"Yeah." Tatl said seriously but with a smile.

Midna thumbed through the notebook and instantly remembered the stories Tatl and Navi told over dinner: the tiles on the walls with the creepy eyeball reliefs, the rooms with tall ledges and jagged walls, the crumbling roof, which made sunbeams in the pollen of the plants growing inside. Tatl had captured them all.

"How did you learn to do this?"

"It was my major as an undergrad. I doubled in art and art history. Other than that, I've always sort of drawn all over everything growing up." Midna saw the black notebook now sitting between him and her. She reached for it.

"More notes?"

"Oh, no. No no no!" Tatl tried to protest, but Midna had already snatched the notebook away from him and had opened it to the first page. The page contained a drawing, but it wasn't of a building, or plant, or sculpture, but a young woman.

"Is this Navi?" Midna asked unnecessarily. The woman in the detailed pencil portrait looked like Navi but a with a few small differences. She looked a bit younger, the glasses she wore were a slightly different shape, and a scarf covered her thick wavy hair.

"Yeah. That was from a couple weeks after I met her. She caught me doodling and soon said it would be okay if I drew her. I was complaining about not having any models."

"What is she wearing?"

"It's a religious thing, I can't remember the name. She doesn't wear it anymore, but I never asked why. I figured she had her reasons. Navi is honestly one of the smartest people I know, she doesn't really do anything without a reason…"

As Tatl continued to dote on Navi, Midna turned through the pages of the sketchbook. It was filled with drawings of people. Navi's face, hands and feet that looked like Tatl's, several pages that had three or four less detailed gesture drawings each. Midna noticed something was missing, "Why no drawings of Link?"

"I never got her permission. I'm not going to draw people who don't say it's okay. I'm not a total creep."

Midna nodded and turned the page, there was the face of a girl she didn't recognize. She looked about Midna's age, maybe a little older. She had soft features, large eyes, and, even though the picture was not in color, blonde hair.

"Who's this?"

"That's Ilia. She was our first undergraduate research assistant. She wasn't here long; she had to leave her assignment early. Family thing, I think."

"She's cute." Midna accusingly said.

"Yeah, well…" Tatl dropped off.

"I heard Link and Navi talking. They are supposed to keep you from hitting on me. Supposedly, that's something you do a lot."

Tatl blushed, "They make me sound like I prey on younglings." Tatl joked as Midna eyed him with a mock caution. Tatl continued, "I'm nice, and I have a sense of humor. That being said, I won't cross any lines that shouldn't be crossed, or, in the case of relationships with other people, lines they don't want me to cross. I don't hit on all the undergrads…"

Midna turned pages as Tatl talked. There were only a few of Ilia. After more of Navi, including the first few without the headscarf, there was a portrait of a boy. He was tall, thin, and had pointed features. In his portrait, he had a wide smile.

"Who's this?"

"That's Pipit. Now, _him_ I hit on. But he hit on me first." Tatl chuckled.

"Oh, I didn't know you were…"

"What?"

"Gay."

"Bi."

"What?"

Tatl sighed and smiled, "I'm bi, not gay."

"Oh, I didn't know." Midna embarrassingly admitted.

"How could you? I never told you." Tatl laughed it off. It was clear that Tatl had come out as bi several times, and he placed a trust in Midna of which she wasn't aware. Midna couldn't help but smile, knowing that Tatl trusted her. Tatl reached for the notebook "Pipit was kind of a firecracker: huge flirt, really funny, really…uh…actually, we should probably skip the next few pages." Tatl snatched the notebook, nervously flipped forward in the notebook, and handed it back to Midna. The temptation to turn back the pages was overwhelming, but Midna didn't want to betray the trust that Tatl had shown. She moved forward. Navi got older and started to smile more. Midna came across another woman, this one with long flowing hair.

"That's Cremia. Girl from my homeland," joked Tatl.

"Homeland?" Midna asked.

"Termina. Though, I grew up in Clock City and she was a farm girl, it was nice to talk with someone who wasn't from Hyrule."

"Did you hit on her too?"

Tatl laughed, "No. We did talk a lot, but only because we shared a similar background. She was way too serious for me; she never laughed at any of my jokes."

Midna smiled.

Tatl and Midna continued to talk and look at the sketchbooks until after the sky went dark. Midna could feel herself becoming more comfortable with him and, for the first time, was tempted to talk about her own childhood. Tatl either didn't notice or didn't mind Midna's continued resistance to talk about herself. He did enough talking for the both of them, and once even got Midna to laugh out loud at a joke at Link's expense.

Without warning, Navi opened the door leading into the temple. "I've been looking for you two everywhere," she started, "We should get to bed. Link said she needs to talk to us in the morning. Something important."

While this wouldn't normally sound like something that would require people hurry to bed, Navi continued to insist that they comply, killing any conversation the two could have had. Tatl chuckled as he stood and held a hand for Midna. She took it and, with his help, stood.

"Here," she handed him the notebooks, "Thank you for sharing these with me. You're a very good artist."

"Duh." Tatl joked, unable to hide his surprise by Midna's candor. He took the notebooks and nodded. Navi's continued insistence that they go to bed broke what little moment they had and the two marched off to the tent in a line, with Navi between the two.

Before they crawled through the opening, Midna stopped and looked back at Tatl, "Hey, Tatl…"

"Yeah?"

"If you needed someone else to draw, you could draw me…If you want."

* * *

><p>Early the next morning, while everyone ate powdered eggs and toast, Link addressed the tired students, "Faso is coming this afternoon with more supplies. I will be going with him when he leaves."<p>

Navi instantly woke up, "What? Why? There's still so much to do here, why are we leaving?"

"_We're_ not leaving. _I_ am leaving," Link corrected her, "Navi will be in charge while I am gone. Stay here another week or so, get what you can, and then meet with me at my office on campus."

"But why?" Navi asked, not satisfied with the correction, "There's still so much to do here! We've barely scratched the surface of what's here!"

"Well," Link took in a breath, "As you've noticed, I've been reading the journal pretty extensively. I'm sorry I haven't been as active as I should be. I didn't mean to leave you all without me."

"Yeah, you haven't been your regular laugh riot." Tatl interjected.

Link didn't look as amused as Tatl or Navi, "Yes, well, this Zelda has some very interesting things to say. I'm only about halfway through, but she's already mentioned the Master Sword."

Tatl, Navi, and Midna perked up. Midna spoke first, "The Master Sword? That's not real, though, is it? It's a myth?"

Link's eyes turned to Midna, "You've heard of it?"

"Who hasn't?"

"Yes, well, there's never been any real evidence that it existed. Not really," Link held up the stapled Journal papers, "But this Zelda seems to think that it's real. And she talks about where it's located."

There was an excited shift in the group at these words. Tatl and Navi both tried to talk over each other, but Navi eventually bowed out and let Tatl speak first, "Is that where you're going? To check out the location from the journal? Not fair!"

"I have to agree with Tatl," Navi interjected, "This temple is an amazing find, better than most can hope for, but…but…Master Sword! The Blade of Evil's Bane!"

The two graduate students continued to complain for a few moments until Midna cut them off, "You don't believe it, right? I mean, the Master Sword? Really?"

Link locked eyes with Midna, "You're right. I don't." Tatl and Navi were instantly quiet.

"Then why are you going?" Midna asked.

"Good question. See, normally this would just get me curious. I would finish up here before moving on. But, the Stalfos were trying to get their hands on this journal. Someone wanted this journal very badly and, so far, there's not really much else I can see of use to someone who would hire them. Who ever hired the Stalfos thinks the Master Sword is real, knew of this temple, and knew this journal was here. That worries me."

"So," Navi started, "you _are_ going to the Master Sword?"

"No. According to this, there are a couple of artifacts that act as keys to the chamber that holds the sword."

"So, you're going to get these artifacts?" Tatl asked.

"Yes. I'll meet up with you three before going after the sword itself. Or whatever it is."

"What kinds of artifacts are they?" Navi asked.

"Royal ones."

Navi and Tatl let out a joint understanding "Ooh," which left Midna to ask, "What does that mean?"

"It means I have to visit my snooty cousin."


	3. The Snooty Cousin

**Chapter 3: The Snooty Cousin:**

Link carried lugged her carry on through the small gangway of the plane. She had already memorized her assigned seat, so she didn't need to hold onto her ticket, freeing her hand for the pages of the journal. When she came to her seat, she stored her bag in the overhead compartment and sat down in the aisle seat, not noticing the man in the sharp grey suit next to her.

Passengers loaded the plane for a few more minutes. Not long after everyone was seated the captain announced that they would be taking off soon, and the flight attendants in their green uniforms ran through a short presentation on safety. Link paid attention to none of it, however, as her attention was still on the journal pages. She read them intently as the plane lurched forward and took off. Link joked to herself about how long winded this Zelda must have been. The passages in the journal were extremely detailed and needlessly long. It reminded her of someone else she knew.

Link was fascinated by the structure of the Journal. There were three separate accounts of her life from age seven onward. Each account was vastly different and extremely detailed. Link knew which accounts were fictions only because of her knowledge of the history of the time. Though, it almost seemed like the Princess Zelda didn't. She wrote it so that that each account was equally authentic. If someone wasn't aware of history, they wouldn't be able to tell you what was real and what was fake. Why add these extra accounts? Was there a significance of the fictions, or was this Zelda earnestly unable to tell reality from fantasy?

Link lost track of time as she pondered these questions. The man in the suit smiled and spoke, "Hello. How are you today?"

"Hmm?" Link said, not looking up from her paper.

"What are you reading?" he asked.

At this Link looked up, "What?"

"What are you reading? You seem very interested in it."

"Oh. It's work." Link said as curtly as possible and returned her eyes to the journal.

"You must like what you do. You're glued to that paper."

Link grunted.

"What would a beautiful woman like yourself do for a living?"

Link ignored him.

"If you don't want to say, I understand." He said, somewhat dejectedly. There was a pause in the conversation, and just as Link thought it was over, he spoke again, "So, where are you headed?"

For the first time since boarding the plane, Link put the papers down in her lap, "Listen, you seem nice…and everything…but I really just want to focus on this. Is it okay if we, just, not talk?"

"Okay, fine," he said bitterly before adding under his breath, "You don't have to be such a bitch about it."

Link gritted her teeth, pursed her lips, and pressed the button to call the attendant. A redheaded woman in a green uniform came to her and deactivated the call button, "What can I do for you ma'am?"

"How much longer before we land?"

"Only about an hour. Is there anything I can get for you?"

"Can I get a drink?"

"Yes, ma'am. What would you like?"

"Can I get something with alcohol?"

"Yes, but there will be an additional charge."

"Bring me your strongest."

The attendant nodded and walked to the front of the plane. As she left, the man next to Link muttered, "I thought you were going to work" under his breath. Link resisted the urge to tell him off, as well as the urge to slam his head against the wall of the plane. Luckily, this was the last of their interaction, as he focused on the window for the rest of the flight.

Link tried to put her frustration out of her mind as she returned to the journal. She was distracted one more time by the attendant bringing her a drink with a light brown liquid. Link smiled, thanked her, and gave her a credit card to charge the drink. Before long, the attendant returned for the empty plastic cup and the plane started to descend.

After the long and tedious process of disembarking from the plane, Link walked through the Termina airport, which was decorated for the Four Giants Carnival, a celebration with which Link was not particularly familiar. She noticed a lot of moons, but didn't pay them much attention. She walked past the luggage claim without stopping and moved directly out the door. Once on the sidewalk, she looked up and down the path for a cab.

"Nerva!" a familiar voice called out to Link.

"Sheik!" Link called out and waved.

Sheik stood by a limo and nodded when Link called out. Sheik was tall with a firm build, which was not hidden by the white collared shirt, black vest, and black slacks. Sheik's skin was tanned, and her rich brown eyes were behind dark glasses, and her blonde hair cut in a short, asymmetrical fashion. It had a buzz cut around most of the head, but a small patch of chin-length hair was swept behind Sheik's left ear. Sheik spoke into her collar, walked over to Link, and offered to carry her bag.

"No thanks, I got it." Link said respectfully.

"Very well." Sheik opened the door of the limo and followed Link inside.

Link sat comfortably in one of the bench seats. She rooted through her bag, found her baton holster, and started to attach it to her hip. Sheik motioned for the driver to start moving and settled across from her.

"Are you not still guarding the princess?" Link asked.

"Yes. It is my duty." Sheik responded with undetectable warmth.

"Then why are you not there now?"

"I was sent to retrieve you."

"By whom?"

"My sister."

"But, I didn't tell Her Royal Grumpiness that I was coming."

Sheik smirked, "You should know better than to try to surprise the princess."

Link shrugged, "I like the haircut, by the way."

"Thank you."

"I take it that it's not a regulation haircut?"

Sheik laughed and ran a hand through the long blonde hair, "maintaining a guard's standard of dress is _not_ my duty."

Link chuckled and looked out the window. All around the car were decorations of moons, and street venders selling different types of masks.

"You know what's with the moons?" Link asked.

Sheik nodded.

"You gonna tell me?"

Sheik smirked, "for an archeologist, you sure don't visit the museum often."

"What?"

"The history museum in Kakariko has featured an exhibit on Terminan masks for almost three months, many of the masks have a direct relation to the festival. I thought you'd have gone. Honestly, don't you have an assistant who studies Terminan masks?"

Link started to feel a bit guilty. Finding the Forest Temple was the end of a chain of events that had taken several months. She was so wrapped up in this process, she missed a golden opportunity for her student. She was doing Tatl a disservice by not allowing him to visit this museum. She couldn't remember Tatl mentioning it, but it could be that Tatl didn't want to bother Link with it. Link made a mental note to ask Tatl if he'd like a few days to study the masks when she got home.

Link snapped back to reality, "So, you still play ball with everyone back home?"

Sheik nodded, "Yes."

"Next time I'm in town, mind if I pop by?"

Sheik nodded, "No. We would not mind. In fact, I was going to ask you to come by. It's been too long."

"When."

"I'll text."

The limo arrived at a grand hotel deep in the heart of the city. Link gathered her bag and stepped out of the car, "Uh, Sheik, this isn't my hotel."

"It is, actually," Sheik said, following her out, "Once we were aware of your visit, we made some changes to your arrangements. The princess is staying here during her visit to Clock City, we thought this would make your business easier."

"I see." Link said, slinging the bag over her shoulder and walking to the door of the hotel, "And what is the princess doing here, anyway?"

Sheik nodded at a similarly dressed man and woman at the door before answering, "The individual states in Termina are forming a union. Until recently, Termina hasn't been a country as we know it. The Zora, Goron, Deku, and the people of Clock City have long held governance over their own territories. They now feel that their economic interests will best be served if they unify, and Princess Zelda is presiding over the negotiations."

"How long has it been going on?" Link asked.

"The negotiations started a week ago. It seems we will be returning to Hyrule soon."

"Already?"

"Yes. It seems that all benefit when people are earnestly willing to cooperate."

Link rolled her eyes at the pointed remark as she walked toward the front desk. She was waved off by Sheik who said that she had already been checked in to a room. A man in sunglasses, shirt, and vest like Sheik's handed her a hotel key card.

"I wasn't planning on staying more than a night," Link said.

"We know."

"Of course you do. When can I talk to the princess?" Link asked as they walked into the elevator.

"She is with someone now. Come to this room in an hour or so. I am going to report in. If you need food, charge it to us." Sheik handed Link a card with a room number on it just as the doors opened for Link's floor.

Link shook her head as she walked out, "Thank you, but I can take care of myself. I'll see you in an hour."

Sheik nodded as the elevator doors closed.

* * *

><p>An hour after Link left Sheik, she found herself in front of the presidential suite door. She knocked and Sheik opened the door, nodded, and welcomed Link in, "The princess is finishing with her previous appointment now, she will be with you in a moment." As she walked into the large room, Link saw what the 'previous appointment' entailed.<p>

On the dark wooden floor was a long white mat. Two people stood facing each other on the mat and wore padded white uniforms and helmets. One uniform had a large purple square on the torso and back and the other had green squares. Each person had a sword and shield made of wood and white rubber, and the two were dueling intensely with a large, heavily tattooed silver-haired woman, dressed like as Sheik, standing on the side watching.

Link couldn't help but evaluate their performance as they dueled. Both were slow, and both had a tendency to telegraph their attacks, making blocking that much easier. They slashed at each other when they should try to stab, and they held their shields too close to their body, limiting their range of motion. After two attempts to slash the purple player, the green let their shield drift too far, and the purple player slashed, hitting the green patch.

"Touché," called the guard between them, "Three points to two. Match goes to purple."

The green player placed his sword and shield on the ground by the mat and took off his helmet. He was young, attractive, and smiling. He held out a hand for the purple player, "Good match. It's always a pleasure."

The purple player placed her sword and shield by the mat, took off her helmet, and met the green player's eyes. It was Princess Zelda. Her long dark blonde hair was pulled back with an elaborate series of braids, her eyes were a brilliant blue, and her lips painted a deep red. Even with the sweat on her forehead, everything about her screamed elegance, grace, and sophistication. Link hated it.

Link started to clap slowly, "Good match. I wonder how you'd do against someone who won't _let_ you win?"

Zelda glared at Link. To anyone else, it would seem that her stare burned straight through them. But Link, after years of knowing the princess, was immune to such intimidation. Zelda shot a quick glance to Sheik, who shrugged.

Zelda then gave the green player a delicate smile, took his hand, and responded, "Never mind my cousin. Thank you for indulging me. It is always a pleasure dueling you, Mr. Keaton."

"Will you still be here next week for another match?"

"I suspect not, unfortunately. My work here is almost done, which means I will be returning to Hyrule soon."

"That's too bad, I'll have to find someone else to duel until you return."

Zelda gave a slight bow, which was answered by a much deeper bow from Mr. Keaton. He then moved to the door and was helped out of his dueling uniform by Sheik. Zelda walked gracefully to a tea tray by a large window. She grabbed a tall glass, placed a lemon slice inside, loaded it with ice, and filled it with cold water from a pitcher, sipped, and faced Link. Each motion was deliberate, graceful, and delicate.

"Would you like a glass? Or perhaps tea?"

"No, I'm good."

"I apologize for my appearance. It is important to keep fit." Zelda's apology seemed idiotic to Link. Even though she had clearly been exercising hard, Zelda still appeared to be pretty well put together. In fact, Link felt underdressed that her normal braid, green sleeved t-shirt, and jeans. Link always felt underdressed when next to Zelda.

"He give you a good workout?" Link asked accusingly.

"Yes. He did. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Zelda asked with a hint of sarcasm, "What do you need of me?

"You tell me," Link shrugged defiantly, "You seem to know everything. You knew I was coming; you even knew when my plane landed."

Zelda smirked as she drank her water, "I am not omniscient. You seem to think I am Goddess Hylia herself."

"I'm not the only one." Link said under her breath.

Zelda sat in a cushioned chair and crossed her ankles. It was as if she thought she was wearing an elegant gown and not a dueling uniform, "You only seek me out when you need something. Now, I am incredibly busy, do you care to tell me what you want, or shall we exchange our usual insults?"

Link took a deep breath, paused, and made her request, "I need the ocarina."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I need the ocarina…from your vault."

"The Ocarina of Time?"

"Yes."

Zelda laughed, "Oh, why yes, please take the most important artifact of not only my family but my entire country. Why not? I could just ship it to your office if you'd like. Or would you prefer carry it in a grocery sack?"

"Zel…"

"Why even come ask me in person? You need only send me an e-mail for such a request…Or a text."

"Zelda, will you please shut up?"

From anyone else, this request would cause Zelda pause. From her cousin, however, she didn't flinch. Her tone became serious, "You are not going to take the Ocarina of…"

"We found a journal."

Zelda stopped berating Link, "A journal?"

"Yes. From one of your predecessors. From more than 800 years ago."

Zelda took a sip of water, "I fail to see what that has to do with the Ocarina."

"In it, she talks about the Master Sword. She talks about where it's located."

"I was under the impression that the sword was a myth. Further, I am still not seeing what this has to do with…"

"She mentions the security measures meant to keep the sword hidden: a door that can only be open with a number of keys. Supposedly, the Ocarina of Time is one of those keys."

"Supposedly? _One of_ the keys?" Zelda asked, trying to hide her piqued interest.

"She also mentions something called the "spiritual stones." They're probably the only things that she's vague on, and I am not aware of them from the other research I've conducted. I will have to read more to find them."

"So, you want to take the most revered item in the history of Hyrule because it is _part_ of what you need to find a mythological object which may or may not exist."

"That about sums it up."

"And, let's assume that I believe this Master Sword does exist, why do you believe it will be where this journal says it will be? You say it is eight centuries old, would no one move it in eight centuries?"

"Probably. There are mentions of the Master Sword being used in literature made after the journal."

"So, why am I even entertaining this proposition?" Zelda finished her water and placed it on the table next to her.

"More water ma'am?" The silver guard asked.

"Yes, Impa, that would be lovely. Thank you." The guard took the water glass, shot a scolding look at Link, and walked to retrieve the water.

Link groaned and rubbed her eyes, "Listen, I still don't know if I believe that this sword exists. But someone does."

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked, taking her newly filled water glass from Impa.

"The temple where we found this journal was filled with Stalfos when we got there."

Zelda leaned forward in her chair, "Stalfos?"

"Yeah, they're this biker gang; they…"

"I am aware of who the Stalfos are, thank you."

"Anyway, they were trying desperately to get this journal."

"Why would Stalfos want an ancient journal?"

"I think they were hired. Someone wanted the Stalfos to get the journal and deliver it to them. They must have known information on the sword was in it. They are looking for the sword."

"I see." Zelda stood and walked to the window. She pondered for a moment before speaking, "If the Master Sword does exist, it is a critical part of Hyrule's history and folklore. I will not see it stolen out from under her." She turned to Link, "Continue this investigation. Once you determine the Master Sword's location and the other necessary keys, return to me and I will accompany you with the ocarina to retrieve it."

Link chuckled and started to swing her arms, "No no. No dice. I'm not going to work while under your thumb. This is what I do for a living, Zel, trust me to do what works."

"I am not letting you take a national treasure with no oversight. You have hardly earned my trust in the past."

"Okay then, I'll just drop it, keep taking notes on the temple where we found the Journal. Maybe even find someone to publish the journal itself." Link threw her arms into the air and started walking toward the door, "Whoever's looking for the sword can just keep it. Or destroy it. Whatever. Not my problem."

Zelda sprang forward and called after Link, "Stop! Minerva, Stop." Link stopped and Zelda regained her composure, "Very well. The ocarina is in the castle vault in Hyrule. I will have it brought to you upon your return."

Link smirked as she bowed, "Thank you."

"However, Sheik will be the one to bring it to you. Sheik will handle the ocarina at all times, and will accompany you on any excavation you may perform while looking for the sword. You may work in the way you see fit, but Sheik will report to me daily on your progress. Are these terms agreeable to you?"

Link looked at Sheik for any sign of agreement, but found no hint of feelings one way or the other. Link signed, shook her head, and responded, "Yeah, sure. That'll work."

"Wonderful." Zelda tried to not show emotion, but it was clear that she was relieved at the outcome, "Sheik will accompany you back to Hyrule tomorrow and will retrieve the ocarina for you. I look forward to hearing more about your discoveries." Zelda gave a diplomatic smile. "Impa?" she held out her arms and Impa walked up behind her, helping her remove the dueling uniform.

"Right, well," Link looked at Sheik, "What time's my flight tomorrow?"

"I will call you when the new arrangements are made."

"Talk to you later," Link turned to Zelda, "and thanks."

Link started to walk out, but was stopped by Zelda's parting words, "Minerva. I know you won't believe me, but it was honestly good to see you. I do miss you."

Link searched for the perfect response, but settled for a nod and, "…sure."


	4. Aleyn Zant

**Chapter 4: Aleyn Zant**

Link leaned against the wall beside the family bathroom of the Termina airport: the _only_ family bathroom of the Termina airport. Thirty minutes before, she and Sheik heard the announcement that their flight was delayed another two hours, at which point Sheik asked Link if she'd be okay looking for a restroom. The two searched for almost an hour before they finally found a gender neutral restroom Sheik could use, and the one they found was on the exact opposite side of the airport from their terminal. Link held not an ounce of resentment.

Sheik exited the restroom, handcuffed to a small metal case and apologizing profusely, "I am sorry. I had planned to hold it until once on the plane, but a two-hour delay made that plan impossible. I didn't mean for us to walk across the entire airport."

"No worries, Sheik," Link said with an earnest smile, "It's not your fault there aren't any agender bathrooms. You didn't design the place." She gave a loving slap to Sheik's back and the two walked back to their terminal. "Bet you miss that private plane now, huh?"

Sheik nodded, "I do. Unfortunately, it is a luxury reserved for the princess."

The rest of their flying experience was, thankfully, uneventful. The Royal Family had sprung for first class tickets, which meant Link was able to enjoy a bit more legroom, a bit more cushioned seats, and a lot more peace in which to read. Her only neighbor was Sheik, and neither one of them was uncomfortable with silence. Before Link and Sheik knew any substantial time had passed, the pilot announced that they would be landing soon, and asked passengers to buckle their seat belts. The two complied and the plane's landing was nothing but smooth. After being the first ones off the plane, Link remarked how much she loved not having to wait to exit the plane.

Both Link and Sheik carried on the luggage they needed, so they both blew past baggage claim and out the doors without pause. In front of them was a large circle drive where several cars drove up to pick up loved ones. On the other side of the drive sat a large parking garage. Link looked up and down the drive for an unattended taxi as Sheik looked at a cellphone and touched Link's arm, "I have arranged for a town car. The driver is in the wrong drive and requires directions. If you would like, I will find him and bring him here."

"So, you want me to wait here?"

Sheik nodded.

"Alright, leave your bag with me. I'll watch it while you go. We'll load them all up at once."

Sheik nodded again, dropped the bag, and ran across the street into the parking garage just beyond the drive. Just after Sheik jogged into the garage and disappeared from view, a black limo with tinted windows pulled up in front of Link. The door opened.

"Miss Link?" asked a large man in a suit who was stepping out of the limo.

"Doctor." Link said, keeping a careful eye on the man.

"What?"

"I have a doctorate. I'm a doctor. Not _miss_."

"So you are Minerva Link?"

"Yeah," Link stared down the hulking man. Her eyes locked onto his sunglasses, but her mind was in her bag. This guy meant her harm, and if it came down to it, she needed to get the batons out of her bag. How could she do that? There are so many people around, how can she keep them safe?

"I'm here to give you a ride." He held the door open for Link.

"Bullshit." Link called him out, but he did not seem to react.

"You misunderstand. My employer would like very much to see you."

"What happens if I don't want to see them? What happens if I just walk away?"

"That won't happen." The man opened his suit jacket to reveal a black gun holster. He then nodded to the door of the airport, which was framed on each side by a suspicious looking man in a suit; both men were staring at Link.

Link tried to evaluate her situation. If she went in the car, she couldn't guarantee her own safety, but if she refused a whole lot more people could get hurt. She looked around the busy loading bay for more planted people with guns: She couldn't recognize any, but there were so many heads that she couldn't be sure. Her eyes drifted down to her bag. Her batons were tucked away inside, and she couldn't think of any way to get them without drawing attention.

The man at the car must have seen her thinking about the bag, "Leave the bags here."

Link made the uneasy decision to get in the car. She didn't want anyone else to get hurt, and she knew that these people wouldn't try to hurt her until after she had met this employer. By that time she could come up with some plan on getting away. Link nodded at the man and started to get into the car.

Just before she stepped inside, she saw Sheik emerge from the parking garage, eyes darting back and forth from Link and the car to the crowd, finding possible targets. Link could see that Sheik meant to rescue Link. Link made eye contact with Sheik and shook her head slightly. She didn't want Sheik to make any sort of move. She didn't want Sheik captured as well. Sheik understood the understated gesture and slowed down, and snuck back into the garage.

Link sat in the middle of the back seat, and the man who opened the door followed her in, closed the door, and tapped on the glass separating them from the driver. The car lurched forward, and they were off.

As they drove, neither Link nor the armed man tried to strike up a conversation. Link's eyes floated back and forth between the man and the window, as she tried to track where the car was moving, just in case she needed to make a break for it. The man's eyes were glued on Link. About an hour after they left the airport, the car entered a neighborhood of large mansions, just outside the city. The car reached a large automatic gate, which creaked open as the limo approached.

Once the limo was parked just outside the large house inside the gate, Link was pushed out of the car and to the large oak front doors. The house was huge. The entry way was grand, tall, and capped with an ornate golden chandelier. Link was pushed forward, passed a sitting room that reeked of old money and brown alcohol, and into an office. It wasn't until she was dropped into a brown leather chair that she could look around the office. The majority of the office looked as if it were pulled from a stodgy decorating magazine, with old books, brown leather, and dark red wood. To Link's left was a large bookshelf that took up the entire wall and was filled with books and small, ornate sculptures. The sole deviation from the "rich old guy" aesthetic of the room sat behind the desk, across from Link. The wall was taken up completely by a fish tank, which was filled with large, colorful fish and an impressive Shark.

"Hello, Professor Link. I hope you weren't waiting long." Link turned around to face the door. Walking in was a short, very thin man wearing a suit that seemed to be a size too big for him. His balding silver hair was combed back close to his scalp, and his thin neck poked out of his shirt collar like a tortoise's head pokes out of its shell.

"Well," Link said as he walked, clanking his hard shoes on the wooden floors, "Considering I didn't even know I was going to be here." The man smirked and sat down behind the desk, framed by the swimming shark.

Link nodded, "Mr. Zant."

Zant smirked again and clasped his hands together, "So, you know who I am."

"Of course." Link said, trying to sound confident, considering her dangerous circumstances. Aleyn Zant is one of the more wealthy people in Hyrule. Everyone knows the story of how the kid from Kakariko who grew up fishing Lake Hylia, saving money until he could buy his own restaurant, and then another, and then real estate. He worked his way from a fisherman's apprentice to all out mogul. Except, through her royal connections, Link knew that his acquisition of wealth wasn't entirely _legitimate._ The Royal guard suspected Zant to be guilty of extortion, drug dealing, money laundering, and even murder. Link knew she was in a delicate situation, and knew she shouldn't push her luck.

"And you know why you are here?"

"Can't say I do."

Zant took in a deep breath, as if to begin a campaign speech, "I wanted to talk to you about my daughter."

"Midna."

Zant nodded, "Yes, Midna. It took quite a deal of work to get her assigned to such an esteemed scholar like yourself."

"Thank you."

"I just want to be sure that I am doing everything I can to ensure that she succeeds. And that she is safe."

"Well, to be honest with you," Link sat forward in her chair, "I am not entirely sure that she wants to be with us. She doesn't seem interested in archeology."

Zant waved her off, "Oh, she isn't." He chuckled, "She was unable to decide on a valuable major herself, so I helped her decide."

"You 'helped' her?"

"Yes. At first, she wanted to be an astronomer, but I couldn't allow that to happen, Midna is too flighty for the hard sciences." Zant chuckled; Link did not, "Then she chose to major in criminal justice. She said she wanted to be a detective. Well, I couldn't allow that too happen. She is far too rebellious, and being a detective would be far too dangerous, you see," Zant smirked as the giant shark passed by the office window.

"Yes. I see." Link played along.

"Which brings me to the reason I asked you here."

Link couldn't help but notice the word _asked_.

"It has come to my attention that you, with my daughter, were attacked by biker thugs while working?"

Link tried to hide her surprise, but her jaw clenched and her eyes widened. How did he know about the Stalfos?

"Yes, I thought so. See, the safety of my dear Midna is of the utmost import to me. I cannot have her being mugged or worse by some…" Zant groaned as he thought, "…lowlife."

"I totally agree." Link said.

"I am glad you do," Zant stood and walked around to the side of the desk. His tone shifted from a toying voice to a gravely serious one, "I will not tolerate Midna being put in danger when under your supervision."

"And I totally agree, "Link repeated, "But the Stalfos situation was the result of coincidence, nothing more. My team and I have been pulling the strings on this sweater for over a year now and haven't encountered anything like them. I don't expect to see them again."

"Even still," Zant crossed his scarecrow arms, "I would prefer you stop pulling these particular strings."

Link was stunned at the request. After taking a pause to collect herself, she asked, "excuse me?"

"If following this path means my daughter is going to be attacked by these lowlife criminals, than I must insist that you not follow this path."

"But, Mr. Zant…"

"I understand that this would mean a substantial setback for you and your work." Zant walked back to his side of the desk and opened the top drawer. He placed a large leather binder on the desk and opened it, "In exchange for making this sacrifice, I am willing to fund your research for the next three years."

Link wasn't swayed, "Mr. Zant, I can't just…"

"Five years. Professor, I can write all sorts of numbers in this checkbook." Zant snatched a pen from his desk and teased the paper of the large checkbook.

Link didn't know what to do. She had a moral problem accepting bribes, and she was on the verge of the greatest discovery of all time, a discovery 800 years in the making, and she didn't want to turn back now. However, one does not simply say _no_ to Aleyn Zant.

Zant must have seen Link's indecisiveness, "Tell me, do you like my shark?" He turned to the tank, where the shark took another lap around the tank. "I caught him myself just a year ago. Magnificent beast, eh? So strong."

"Sure."

"But notice the other fish in the tank? The shark doesn't attack them, even though it is clearly bigger than they are. Why? Why does the shark leave those alone?" Zant was probing.

"Why."

"The shark knows how to pick its battles. The other fish are poisonous to eat, and the shark knows that if it turns on those other fish, it will surly die. He serves as my reminder…" Zant's eyes locked with Link's, "…that we all need to know how to pick our battles."

Link nodded, not breaking eye contact with Zant, "right."

Zant smirked, and broke his gaze from Link's to grab a small card from his desk, "Of course, I don't expect you to make any decisions today. Take my card," he handed the card to Link, "Contact me when you decide to take me up on my offer." He then pushed a button on his desk, and the door behind link creaked open to reveal two large people in suits, "My people will take you to your university. I believe your friend has grabbed your bags."

Link didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. She stood, stared at Zant for a moment, and then followed the suits out of the room. Just as she reached the threshold of the door, Zant stopped her with a breath, "And remember, professor: pick your battles."


End file.
